The theme of ICIS 2017 is “Transforming Society with Digital Innovation“.

As the information and communication technology advances, knowledge, product, and even manufacturing itself become digitized and people can get information and knowledge they need at any time through the Internet. Accordingly, consumers who have relied on the information and products provided by companies pursue their own values based on the information they collect, which makes mass production systems focusing on the current technology and price lose their competitiveness. In this environment along with the global economic stagnation, excellent companies like GM and Kodak which had dominated the market for decades have suddenly collapsed. However, there are some other companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple which are arising from this chaos. That is, companies which can understand a variety of customer needs and solve their problems with quick and creative ways can have plenty of opportunities to grow. Otherwise, companies go out of business.

The economic paradigm changes from industrial economy to knowledge economy to creative economy and companies which can adapt themselves to this change can survive. John Howkins (2001) in his book, The Creative Economy, defines the creative economy as the new economic system based on creative human being, creative industries, and creative cities where creative products combining creative behavior and economic value works as trade unit. In other words, the creative economy is to solve the problems people or societies have through individual creativity, not through big companies or organizations, through which convergence of technologies and knowledge takes place, new companies arise, and new jobs are created to lead to economic growth. Recently, convergence is occurring in various forms and levels: the convergence of humanity and engineering to better understand and solve problems people and societies have, the convergence of industries, for example, the convergence of telecommunication and computer (smart phone), the convergence of bio and chemical, etc. It is believed that the convergence, in particular ICT convergence is in the core of creative economy because it provides a wide spectrum of knowledge and technologies quite different from past structured disciplines to create new industries and economies. The ICT convergence becomes pervasive. For example, in the manufacturing industry, IT convergence helps reduce risks and production costs and enhance new product development process. It together with 3D printing changes the very nature of manufacturing to a service. In the agricultural sector, IT convergence is revolutionizing farming and cultivation. Agricultural products, grown under automated systems (plant factories) and eco-friendly plant management information systems are in demand. Service sectors are also benefitted by the ICT convergence to better understand their customers and respond to the changes in customer needs. The newer computing environments help accelerate IT convergence.

The purpose of this conference is to provide a platform for academics and practitioners to identify and explore the issues, opportunities, and solutions that promote IT convergence and find new business value of information and communication technology. It is also expected to serve as the spring-board for gathering and disseminating experiences gained in implementing IT convergence to create new values in a variety of industrial settings.